One man’s meat is another man’s poison. Sure, the weakening rand will inevitably hike farming input costs with increases in the prices of fuel, fertiliser, pesticides, machinery and equipment. But SA’s domestic economic woes also make the country’s products more competitive in the global market place, presenting an opportunity amid all of the negativity. Of the R14bn the citrus industry earned the fiscus in 2015, 92% hinged on export. And this has helped the industry put bread on the tables of 71,500 people in the form of on-farm jobs. Sustaining an industry of this size requires continued innovation and benchmarked risk mitigation. That is why sustainable production is at the heart of the industry — not least because it aids compliance with international regulations and resultant market retention. Take citrus black spot, for example. This fungal disease, which is transmitted through the movement of infected plant material, has given rise to a continuing dispute between SA and the E...
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